Shoes include upper portions and lower portions, with the lower portion comprising the parts that are disposed intermediate the wearer's foot and the surface on which he or she is walking. The upper portion functions to at least partially cover the wearer's foot and to keep the lower portion in contact with the wearer's foot. To accomplish these functions, the upper portion is connected to the lower portion at a plurality of locations, and also engages the foot which is placed intermediate the upper and lower portions.
In addition to these purely functional aspects of shoes, it is generally desirable to have shoes that provide comfort and style. The comfort is afforded in part by providing an upper portion that is appropriately constructed to accept the wearer's foot and to accommodate the various movements, stresses, and strains that are placed upon the upper portion during normal wear. The style is attained by providing upper and lower portions that are aesthetically compatible with one another and that are both compatible with other attire with which the shoes will be worn.
To better accommodate the various styles and tastes of the shoe wearer, it is known to provide shoes in which the upper portions are separable from the lower portions. This has been most prevalent in shoes of a sandal design on which the upper portion consists merely of one or more straps. By this arrangement, the owner of the shoe can possess one pair of lower portions that can be used interchangeably with a plurality of pairs of upper portons. The wearer typically would select an upper portion that is consistent with other clothes he or she will be wearing, and will affix the selected upper portion with the standard lower portion. This enables the person to have a substantial shoe wardrobe that is compatible with other parts of their wardrobe, but that requires a relatively small capital expenditure. Examples of shoes that utilize these principles are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,153,968 to Loufbahn; U.S. Pat. No. 2,227,352 to Krasnosky; U.S. Pat. No. 2,395,767 to Sutcliffe; U.S. Pat. No. 2,509,335 to Dadisman; U.S. Pat. No. 2,526,940 to Fello; U.S. Pat. No. 2,976,623 to Gallaway; U.S. Pat. No. 3,037,302 to McDorman; U.S. Pat. No. 3,352,033 to Colley, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,925,915 to Colli.
The above cited references to Dadisman, Fello, McDorman, and Colli all show sandal type shoes in which a replaceable upper portion is woven or threaded through a specially designed lower portion. More particularly, the lower portion in these references includes specially mnaufactured slots and/or grooves through which members of the upper portion are threaded. Thus, although the replaceable upper portions are intended to reduce the expenditure on shoes, the specially manufactured lower portion can be significantly more expensive than the lower portion on a standard shoe. The reference to Krasnosky shows a shoe with a hinged lower portion to which straps are adjustably affixed by screws. In this shoe, the wearer would require special tools to change the upper portion. The references to Loufbahn and Cooli disclose shoes on which the upper portion is rigidly but removably snapped to the lower portion. The Sutcliffe reference shows a shoe having studs disposed about the perimeter of the lower portion. The upper portion consists of a cord that is wrapped around the studs and then tied about the ankle. Although these upper portions are easily replaced, the shoe is difficult to put on, and the upper portion can easily bind against the foot causing discomfort to the wearer. The Gallaway reference shows a shoe having a hinge member built into the lower portion. The upper portion consists of a strap member that is wrapped through a portion of the hinge member. At least two of the hinge members are designed to fixedly retain opposed ends of the strap members.
In view of the above, it is an object of the subject invention to provide a new and improved shoe with interchangeable shoe straps.
It is another object of the subject invention to provide a shoe with interchangeable shoe straps that do not require specially manufactured lower shoe portions.
It is a further object of the subject invention to provide a shoe with interchangeable shoe straps and lower shoe portions that can be easily and inexpensively manufactured.
It is an additional object of the subject invention to provide shoes with interchangeable shoe straps that are aesthetically attractive.
It is still another object of the subject invention to provide a shoe on which the interchangeable shoe straps may be easily changed by the wearer.
It is still a further object of the subject invention to provide a shoe with interchangeable shoe straps that affords to the wearer enhanced comfort.